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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com